Kraahh! Boom!
Enormous lightning bolt flickered throughout the huge road, decimating a great number of the pirates blockading the path.
Ulrica charged through the enemies while her comrades guarded her flanks.
Matrias continuously sent out deadly lightning assaults from the center of their formation.
Party 3 broke through each enemy blockade with overwhelming force and was swiftly approaching their objective.
While I was still observing the situation with the rearguards, I turned to the battlement where Party 4 was stationed.
Dozens of pirates and their war hounds were trying to occupy the first altar by going through the four paths leading to the battlement.
But Djhotti and his comrades had formed a solid defensive line.
Each of their four combatants had been assigned to guard one path.
Except for the dwarf who could secure his post single-handedly, one of Vallerynne's golems was aiding each member of Party 4.
Vallerynne was placed at the center with the statue. She was casting supporting enchantments for her comrades as well as controlling her three golems guarding the paths.
"How's everything on your side, Keeper?"
I reached out to the dwarf.
[We're doing fine, Great Mage. The ways the enemies are attacking us are just the way you predicted in the War Hall. Our party has trained to endure a long siege battle like this. You needn't worry about us.]
That should be the truth.
The Main Forces might had been given prior intel by Sigyn regarding the enemy formations in the twentieth floor.
But the information would be useless if the raiders were not strong enough to counter them.
All the 2-star heroes in Party 2 till 5 had reached at least level 7 in basic weapon skill. At least one other in each party had reached level 8.
They would not be a burden to the 3-star and 4-star advanced heroes.
In fact, the 2-star presences should reinforce the parties' strength even further.
"We won't be able to help each other directly. But still report your situation from time to time."
I told the dwarf.
[Understood, Great Mage.]
Screechhh!
The terrible noise of the chimera pulled my attention back to the rise.
Jonah was still in fierce battle against the three-headed beast.
But since Darius and I were too occupied dealing with the giant-hatching eggs that the lizard head kept sending throughout the circular battlefield, a couple of Night Terror were able to reach the shepherd.
['Jonah (★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. His stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
The winged creatures managed to lightly claw Jonah's back and left shoulder before Devisha struck them down with her throwing daggers.
"Time to switch! Shanny, distract the chimera! Devisha, cover Jonah as he retreats and heals his wounds!"
I ordered my comrades.
As more Night Terror and Dark Spawn were heading Jonah's way, Devisha proceeded to summon four daggers to each hand and accurately threw them at the monsters.
The Tsahanam assassin rapidly summoned more daggers to her grasps and continued unleashing barrages of projectiles.
['Devisha (★★★)'s Dagger Throwing has levelled up twice to level 8!]
This relentless assault provided an opportunity for Jonah to pull back from the chimera and for Shanny to charge in and take his place.
[This monster is immune to physical attacks!]
The former maid struck the chimera's lizard tail and caught its attention.
She began taunting the chimera, trying to get all the heads to focus on her, and running around the rise to keep it away from the rest of us.
Whoosh! Crash!
Despite Shanny's taunt, the lizard head kept shooting the giant eggs all over the rise. More dangerous enemies were bounded to emerge on the battlefield
"Darius, I'm counting on you!"
I told the archer.
The middle-aged bowman then nocked an arrow and took aim at one of the eggs.
Swoosh! Krrchh!
His projectile pierced through the hard round object and from the inside fell out a limp scaled giant.
Darius continued shooting the rest of the eggs in quick fashion.
Swoosh! Krch! Swoosh! Krch! Swoosh! Krch!
He eliminated most of the scattered eggs in mere seconds. One projectile for each egg. With each arrow completely piercing through the shells and killing the growing giant instantly.
['Darius (★★★)'s Rapid Fire has levelled up to level 7!]
['Darius (★★★)'s Eagle Eye has levelled up to level 5!]
['Darius (★★★)'s Strongbow has levelled up to level 3!]
Kroaahh!
A Deathbringer finally managed to burst through just as Darius destroyed its egg.
Before the giant could wreak havoc on the battlefield, Jonah rushed to the Deathbringer and thrusted his weapon to its torso.
Zooomm! Krrch!
The shepherd's enchanted spear pierced through the Deathbringer's tough scales. A large gaping hole was created on the giant's body.
['Jonah (★★)'s Thrust Charge has levelled up to level 2!]
Shingg!
I suddenly felt my fatigue being swept away once more. Newfound power was welling up inside me.
The monsters, on the contrary, started moving slower. Their attacks lacked part of their usual strength.
These occurrences could only mean one thing.
['Party 3' has occupied the second altar.]
[The second altar's powers are taking effect.]
[Master, the Goddesses' blessing has been strengthened!]
[All heroes' stats have increased by 15%!]
[All enemies' stats have decreased by 15%!]
[Special power has been granted to the vanguard!]
I turned to the harbor where Party 3's objective was located.
As expected, Ulrica and her comrades had secured the goddesses statue.
The crimson-scaled winged lizards had been reduced to smoking charred corpses.
The huge muscular man who wielded the two heavy swords was sprawled dead on the ground. His two arms had been severed from his body.
Meanwhile, the masked man with the trident was lying drenched in his own pool of dark blood. His corpse was riddled with arrows and covered with gashing wounds.
[Southlander, we've claimed the altar!]
The Near-Kin reached out to me.
"Good work, Ulrica! All you have to do now is to protect it!"
[Very well! We won't let any of these weak southlander pirates get past us!]
SCREEEEECH!!!
The chimera's terrible scream diverted my attention once more. Somehow it was louder than before.
"Serafina!"
Shanny shouted at me.
I proceeded to turn toward our current decoy for the chimera.
My eyes could not believe what was stained on Shanny's sword.
"Is that blood?! The chimera's blood?!"
"Yes! My blade! It went through the monster's flesh just now!"
The former maid shouted convincingly.
I immediately turned to our archer.
"Darius!"
The 3-star understood my intention on calling him.
He swiftly nocked an arrow to his bow and aimed at the chimera. At the same time, I prepared a Third Circle fire spell.
Swoosh! Boom!
Screechh!!!
The chimera screamed in pain.
Darius's arrow managed to puncture into the bull head's crimson eye.
Unfortunately, my fire spell did not seem to cause any damage to it.
[This monster is immune to magical attacks!]
"Magic still can't harm it, apparently."
Darius said.
I nodded.
"Yes. But your weapons now can."
Zinggg!
Peculiar lights flashed in the sky.
Another order from Sigyn.
[Modifying battle instructions for an enemy type.]
[Enemy Type 1: Cursed Abomination Lv.52]
[Combat Tactic: Active Suppression]
[Combat Directives: aggressive coordinated confrontation, physical direct attack, physical projectile attack, injure priority, medium exertion cost]
Instead of simply distracting the chimera, Sigyn wanted us to actually harm the creature.
Logical order.
We would aim to do it anyway even if they did not instruct us to.
"Everyone, focus your attacks on the chimera! Leave all of their minions to me!"
I ordered my comrades.
As always, they did not question me.
Jonah, Shanny, and Devisha immediately charged at the chimera. Darius started adjusting his position to have clear good aim at the three-headed beast.
The Dark Spawn, the Night Terror, and a few Deathbringer began to chase after my comrades.
But I immediately casted my spell to intercept all of them, as I promised.
[Maha Naraka]
Twelve burning hurricanes descended from the dark night sky above and struck the circular rise.
[Dominate]
I controlled each of the dozen fire twisters and had them raging through the battlefield, devouring the chimera's minions into their obliterating flames.
It was only recently that I managed to possess this much control over a Fifth Circle spell.
Back on the fifth floor, when I was still much weaker than I currently was, I could only barely cast the spell and let the magic manifestation run loose without control.
Since then I had made it one of my major goals to master such high level magic.
I knew the time would come when a Fifth Circle spell would become the bare necessity in battle.
That time was now.
Swoooshhh!
My comrades dashed toward to the chimera under the cover of my Fifth Circle spell.
Giant spinning pillars of fire rushed about them, obliterating the chimera's minions out of their paths.
"Grahh!"
Shanny began the massacre on the chimera.
She swung her sword through the chimera's tail, creating a big gash on the lizard head's throat.
Jonah thrusted his spear and punctured through one of the chimera's legs. Devisha sliced her scimitars through another one.
Darius rapidly fired his arrows and riddled the bull head as well as the lion head with his projectiles.
Screeechh!!!!
All of their attacks went through.
The chimera was heavily injured by my comrades' assaults.
We were finally stepping closer toward our goal to eliminate this great monster.
Krshhh…..
Hm?
As I observed my comrades slaughtering the chimera a bit longer, I noticed something odd.
The wounds on the three-headed beast were not getting worse.
From the intense assaults my comrades had been unleashing on the chimera, it was supposed to collapse by now because of all the wounds it should had received.
My Fifth Circle spell was still raging fiercely throughout the rise that I could afford to spare my attention.
So I observed the chimera a bit closer.
It was then that I noticed the gaping wounds my comrades caused on the chimera began to close back together.
The flesh on the chimera's wounds rapidly reattached themselves and stopped their bleeding.
They healed as if there was never a wound there in the first place.
Damn it!
The cursed mutt regenerates!